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the Exodus, did enter with those two men. God had originally promised the land to Abraham and his descendants and, whether or not the Israelites obeyed, God was bound to keep His promise.
3. If New Testament Christians believe and obey God, may they enter their “rest” – eternal life in God’s Kingdom? Heb 4:3, first nine words. What does Hebrews 4:4 refer to? Gen 2:1-3.
COMMENT: Hebrews 4:4 plainly speaks of God’s rest after finishing His work of creation. This verse refers directly to the first weekly Sabbath day as a type of the “rest” chapters 3 and 4 in Hebrews are speaking of. And so the Sabbath day was symbolic of God’s “rest” for ancient Israel – the Promised Land they entered. And both are symbolic of true Christians entering the Kingdom of God at Christ’s return.
4. Will God’s Spirit-begotten children be keeping His Sabbath day as a weekly foreshadow of their future “rest” in His Kingdom? Heb 4:9-10.
COMMENT: The meaning of verse 9 has been obscured by the word “rest” in the King James Version. Everywhere else in Hebrews chapters 3 and 4 the word “rest” is translated from the Greek word katapausin. However, in verse 9 of chapter 4, “rest” is translated from sabbatismos, which literally means “keeping of a Sabbath”!
Most English translations have correctly translated Hebrews 4:9. Even the margin of the King James Version renders it: “There remaineth therefore a keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God.” The Moffatt translation renders this verse: “There is a Sabbath-rest, then, reserved still for the People of God.” The Lamsa translation really makes it clear: “It is therefore the duty of all people of God to keep the Sabbath.”
So there still remains a sabbatismos – the KEEPING of the Sabbath day – for God’s people today. And Spirit-begotten Christians (spiritual Israelites) will enter the future “rest” (katapausin) of God’s Kingdom even as they now keep the weekly Sabbath, which points to it!
But why would the Kingdom of God be pictured as a “rest”? Because being a divine member of God’s Family will be a rest from sin. When born of God’s Spirit, we will be free of our present struggle against sin. We will then possess the fullness of the mind and character of God and thus be able to remain sinless forever! (1 John 3:9)
And when born into God’s Kingdom – when we become eternal members of God’s divine Family – we will each possess the same kind of gloriously radiant and powerful spirit body that Christ and the Father now have. We will no longer be limited by our present weak, mortal bodies that tire so easily. We’ll then possess the capacity for tireless, never-ending accomplishment (Isa 40:28, 31).
This is what we can look forward to when we enter God’s “rest” – when born into the eternal Family of God!
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